PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University athletic department has announced the addition of two new Hall of Famers, naming former softball pitcher Savannah Settle-Davis and former women's basketball head coach Jason Tinsley as the 2026 inductees.
Settle-Davis and Tinsley will be inducted on Thurs., Oct. 1 as part of the homecoming week festivities.
Settle-Davis was a part of the Wildcat softball team from 2015 to 2018. During that time, she amassed a 56-32 record with three saves and a 2.25 ERA over 609 innings pitched in 105 appearances, starting 91 contests. Her innings pitched, appearances, and starts are still the most among all LCU softball pitchers. During her time, she had 70 complete games, 21 of which were shutouts, and three no-hitters, one being a perfect game which came against Mary Hardin- Baylor on March 31, 2017. During her time in orange and blue, Settle-Davis struck out 498 batters and opposing hitters hit .205 off her. She was a five-time American Southwest Conference Pitcher of the Week and was named First Team All-ASC all four years she was in Pineville.
"I realize now just how much those four years shaped the person I am today," said Settle-Davis. "At the time, I was focused on being the best player I could be and making the most of every opportunity, but I didn't fully understand how much those years, the people, and the experiences would stay with me long after I graduated."
"I was also fortunate to have coaches who believed in me and supported me throughout my time at LCU," continued Settle-Davis. "They challenged me, pushed me to be better, and taught me lessons that went far beyond softball."
And lastly, she said, "[Being inducted into the LCU Hall of Fame] is an incredible honor, but what means the most to me is knowing my time at LCU continues to have an impact."
Tinsley guided the LCU women's basketball team as its head coach from 2010 to 2014 during a period of immense success for the Wildcats. During his four years, LC amassed an 89-25 overall record, a 78 percent winning percentage, won three ASC East Division Championships and qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament three times. The most monumental of his wins came on March 4, 2011 as he led the Wildcats to California for the NCAA Tournament and defeated Chapman, 61-60, on its home floor for LCU's first-ever national tournament victory.
His Wildcats were almost unbeatable at home. He started his tenure winning his first 32 games inside H.O. West Fieldhouse and by the time he stepped aside, was 42-5 in games played in Pineville. His teams also scored a lot of points, putting up 100 or more points 15 times over his four seasons. He coached two D3 All-Americans, saw his played honored with 11 All-Conference selections, seven named to the ASC All-Defensive Team, two ASC Defensive Players of the Year, and two Freshmen of the Year. His teams were also in the D3 Top 25 polls for 28 weeks during his tenure, peaking as the number 14-ranked team in the country.
"The four years I coached at LCU were some of the best years of my career," said Tinsley. "It gave me the opportunity to work with my good friend of 30-plus years, Coach [Gene] Rushing, and it gave [Assistant Coach Dr.] Sonia [Tinsley] and I the opportunity to coach together."
"I was fortunate enough to gave some talented young ladies in the program that worked hard and bought in to what we were trying to accomplish. That led to having some really good teams that were able to play and compete at a national level. I'm grateful to be inducted into the LCU Hall of Fame. The LC/LCU Lady Wildcat basketball program has a long history of success with great teams, players, and coaches. Being recognized as a small part of that success is an honor."
